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ateamfuntimer
Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 757
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#1 · Posted: 20 May 2009 09:06
I'm not usually one to complain about anyone's website. I usually look at it this way. They are living the entrepreneur dream and at least promoting themselves. Think of all the people that you have gotten started in business that never advertise their sites. So when someone has a site im usually happy they do have one. But recently one thing has been bothering me. The ultra long sales sites.
Have you ever been on a page that has so much info on it that you are scrolling for minutes. I'm not a fan of these pages. As I scroll down the page I usually lose interest and hyper scroll to the bottom to see the price. Now as we look at things as business owners we should always be aware of how our sites are seen by customers. We usually have a few minutes to grab their attention. It might be just me but the ultra long sites don't get me excited. I understand the ease of making pages like this but with so many free website builders I prefer websites with more pages that are shorter. In addition video is always a great feature.
Recently I started using Bravehost.net to create pages. They have a free service with loads of widgets and tools you can add to your site. You dont even have to know any HTML. In addition they have an affiliate program. So I market their service to my team as well.
Id love to hear how others feel about sites that are long and get a different perspective. maybe others see it differently and im missing the point. Please give me some feedback.
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persil
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Joined: 23 Apr 2009
Posts: 13
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#2 · Posted: 20 May 2009 19:28 · Edited by: persil
I agree with you they are way to long.
Just been on clickbank now looking at products and every sale page I viewed was the same.
I also scrolled down to the bottom to see the price.
I think they try to put as much info as possible so you will buy, but it just puts me off.
It's not that I don't want the info I just don't want that much.
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A8ch
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 654
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#3 · Posted: 20 May 2009 20:59
ateamfuntimer: Id love to hear how others feel about sites that are long and get a different perspective.
Hi Adam,
Here's my feedback on the issue of long vs short website sales pages. I think they both have their place. I've seen single page websites with 5,000-word promotional pages (short) and those with 25,000-word promotional pages (long) that do equally well.
Whichever version a particular marketer chooses to use should be based primarily on test results. Other factors such as product, market, price, usability, function and benefits also play a role.
For example: The sales copy required to sell a $27.00 instructional ebook can be significantly shorter than that of a site selling a $1,500 home study course.
The reasoning is both practical and psychological. A high-priced course will have a greater perceived value to the prospect than an entry level ebook, therefore a greater effort (longer copy) would seem appropriate and would probably be more appreciated.
If I'm going to fork over $1,500 for a product you can be sure that I'll want to know "everything" about how it can benefit me, so the longer the copy the better. Makes sense doesn't it?
Here's an interesting sidebar: The high-priced course can be easily refashioned from the content of the cheap ebook. Don't you just love informational products? 
Today, with ubiquitous broadband connections and the easy deliver of video, marketers can save space and replace long copy with useful audio-visual content. Still I would experiment and test my markets before going headlong into video.
A final observation. Long copy only seems long if it is boring. But if it is well written, targets the right emotional triggers, includes pertinent screenshots, charts, examples, testimonials and other selling tools, then it doesn't really matter how long it is, only how effective it is.
Hermas
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Vishal P. Rao
Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 1063
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#4 · Posted: 21 May 2009 01:25
I hardly read long sales letters. I just go through the bullet points and most importantly testimonials, particularly if they are non-hyped. I have seen some sales copies that contain few promotional content but lots of testimonials. I really like reading those and I think they convert well too. No matter how good the sales copy, without a decent number of testimonials, I don't think I would easily fall for one.
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cherie27
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Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 676
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#5 · Posted: 21 May 2009 03:48
For those with longer sales letter, they can split their page into several pages. And not squeeze everything into a page. Having to read those long sales letter, will cause the reader to lose interest.
I don't read long sales letter except look at the bullet points and testimonials.
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VictoriaNTC
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 638
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#6 · Posted: 21 May 2009 12:47
I have always "heard" long sales letter do well.
However, I am another who does not want to spend 30 minutes getting to the point.
Personally, I feel many are sales letters are over done and prefer shorter and more direct.
Have a great day!
Victoria
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yahia
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Joined: 8 Oct 2006
Posts: 125
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#7 · Posted: 21 May 2009 17:22
Guys you forgot that we are maketers, we are used to scroll down to the price. Do you remember your first time to read a sales copy? You read everything before you decide to buy it.
Short vs long depends on many factors, including the audience (age, lifestyle, special needs or conditions ... etc.), how the copy is written (for a long one you need to be a very good writer to keep the customer reading), in addition to the price as A8ch mentioned in his post.
From my own experience when I promote a product with a long sales page it converts a bit better, and this is all what matters to me as a marketer.
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Newbie Shield
Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 2232
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#8 · Posted: 22 May 2009 15:41
Hi Adam,
I must be the only weirdo on the forum. I love long, professionally written sales copy. It goes without saying that poorly written copy is boring regardless of length.
If I'm truly interested in a product, I want to know everything about it - even from the seller's public perspective.
I'll read most of the pitch plus watch any built in vids. Then I like to do some Google searches to see what others have to say about the product for sale.
I read the sales letter a second time and then sleep on it for at least one night.
I also like long copy for it's learning value.
I try to pay attention to my own reactions at various points. I'm looking for bits that seem convincing or exciting.
I concur with Hermas and some of the others: It's a well established fact that longer copy does indeed tend to convert better.
I also agree that higher prices justify longer copy.
I'm a marketing and research junkie, so that may partially explain my fascination with long sales copy.
As an aside, everyone and their mother now tries to mimic the pros and falls short. What you may be experiencing is poorly written copy by someone who really has no business writing long copy.
They write it because they can rather than because they are skilled writers.
~Newbie Shield~
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RICH4NURICHE
Forums Member
Joined: 6 May 2009
Posts: 82
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#9 · Posted: 23 May 2009 00:39
THIS was an interesting and insightful post! Me personally, i like simple and short. I feel my time is valuable so i want to get to the point. Video and Audio is preferred. These things to me are the closest thing to actually being face to face with someone.
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tygersclaw
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Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 30
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#10 · Posted: 29 May 2009 02:08
The "average" person will only stay on a website for the first time on average 0:50 seconds to 2:00 minutes.
The MAIN thing I saw in the sites I visited, was a lack of a REAL HOOK to keep one there.
Most sales sites all seem to sound very "similar" and offer much the same kind of product. I have NOT seen any one who has made a site (so far) that really sets themselves apart from the competition.
That is one of the keys. Set yourself apart and as well, get your main message out to web surfers withing the first 30 seconds of site loading, and then once you get your message out to them, give them a reason to stay on your site.
Easy to say, harder to do. But it can be done.
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jmwe29
Forums Member
Joined: 7 May 2009
Posts: 8
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#11 · Posted: 9 Jun 2009 14:43
Hi! I come in on the side of shorter "pitch pages" as opposed to longer ones. The ones I've visited seem to have been written by people who know how to talk (a lot) and say nothing. If it has actual content, fine, but line upon line of little or nothing does nothing but turn me off. And a side note- I have to by-pass video options because we're out in the country and still on dial-up. Video may lose customers if that's the only way to get the information.
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glindow
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Joined: 5 Sep 2008
Posts: 27
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#12 · Posted: 10 Jun 2009 15:42
I too throw my hat in with short pitch pages. Most of the ones I see are massive and seem to consist of about 50% charts showing how much money a said marketing system has made for the person who created it. I don't particularly care how much money you made in 8 different weekly sessions. Show my one or two if you have to and leave it at that.
I also am extremely paranoid about testimonials since its a given that an marketer with half a brain will select testimonials that put their product in a favorable light. Very much like the references you use when you write your resume, you aren't going to select a reference from someone whom you know won't give you a positive recommendation.
Video is also something I generally ignore or shut off first chance I get, but thats probably more a personal preference than anything.
I would also however have to agree that the success of a pitch depends a lot on the reader. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another. I am just personally of the mind that I would rather get all the pertinent information as soon as possible, cost, what it is, a vague idea of what it will take and will then go and google search the product for independent reviews if I can find them.
Hmm, I am ranting a bit here, sorry about that, but it seemed like an appropriate venue for such a thing. Now to go do something about this headache I seem to be developing.
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simplyg
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Joined: 3 Jun 2009
Posts: 41
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#13 · Posted: 10 Jun 2009 20:17
I agree that many sales pages are too long. I get really frustrated and feel like my time is being wasted.
I was once part of a data entry scheme that asked you to review these sales sites. I ended up reviewing over 100 sites, and it took forever! By the time I finished, I was sure I could never read one of these sites again.
That said, I purchased two programs from these sites. I guess the content caught me despite the length. I did wish both of these sales sites had been broken into separate pages. That is how I plan to design my own website.
Thanks for the opportunity to have a mini-rant!
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samueldarwin
Forums Member
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 464
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#14 · Posted: 10 Jun 2009 22:11
Hello,
You are right. The long sales page gives a bad feeling to the user. I am too not a fan of this method. My personal view is that you need to have a sales page with not more than 2-3 full scroll length.
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Shannon
Forums Member
Joined: 11 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
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#15 · Posted: 11 Jun 2009 12:17
I'm trying the long ones and short ones just to see where the traffic goes and how long visitors stay on my sites.
I'm still new to all of this so I keep reading and trying to implement what I learn.
It can get pretty exhausting though to TRY and figure out what works.
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newbiz02
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 140
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#16 · Posted: 12 Jun 2009 18:18 · Edited by: newbiz02
If you have been researching a product and you get to the main page with a long sales pitch, it provides all the info that you could ever need. No other source would have more info about the product. The long pitch should be able to keep you there, and make up your maind to buy. I agree with alot of comments here.
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JoelMatthews
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Joined: 4 Jun 2009
Posts: 6
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#17 · Posted: 12 Jun 2009 22:23
I'm more taken by Short pages but if they read through the whole lot they are bound to be more serious and into it.
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newbiz02
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 140
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#18 · Posted: 22 Aug 2009 00:11
most visitors dont really read the entire page. by the time they get to the main offer page through some reviews, they probably cant wait to hit the "order now"button.
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onlinemoneyexpe
Forums Member
Joined: 15 Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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#19 · Posted: 18 Oct 2009 22:02
I don't care for long sales pages either. I think that the quicker you can get a person to buy the better. I guess their thinking is that they want the customer to really want the product by the time they get to the bottom.
I really hate when they don't give you anywhere to click until you get to the bottom. I think you should have them sprinkled throughout the sales page so that your customer can click when their ready to buy. I hate it even more when I read thge whole page and it still doesn't tell the price.
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Jean LA
Forums Member
Joined: 2 Oct 2009
Posts: 173
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#20 · Posted: 25 Oct 2009 00:05
ateamfuntimer: I'm not usually one to complain about anyone's website. I usually look at it this way. They are living the entrepreneur dream and at least promoting themselves. Think of all the people that you have gotten started in business that never advertise their sites. So when someone has a site im usually happy they do have one. But recently one thing has been bothering me. The ultra long sales sites. Have you ever been on a page that has so much info on it that you are scrolling for minutes. I'm not a fan of these pages. As I scroll down the page I usually lose interest and hyper scroll to the bottom to see the price. Now as we look at things as business owners we should always be aware of how our sites are seen by customers. We usually have a few minutes to grab their attention. It might be just me but the ultra long sites don't get me excited. I understand the ease of making pages like this but with so many free website builders I prefer websites with more pages that are shorter. In addition video is always a great feature. Recently I started using Bravehost.net to create pages. They have a free service with loads of widgets and tools you can add to your site. You dont even have to know any HTML. In addition they have an affiliate program. So I market their service to my team as well. Id love to hear how others feel about sites that are long and get a different perspective. maybe others see it differently and im missing the point. Please give me some feedback.
The "ultra-long" sales pages are necessary for these marketers because most of them are toucing all the points on marketing.
The needs, wants, steps and solutions. And at the end, they will say that their product (which is available for free on the internet. lol) is the solution.
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